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If there is one room in the house which stresses you out, it’s the bathroom. The problem is it’s too small and cramped to do anything other than 1’s and 2’s. Even when you take a shower there isn’t the room to dry off without getting water everywhere. And forget about installing a bathtub because it would take up the entire floor space. Plus, it’s always occupied when you need it the most, like when you wake up late for work during the week.
Nothing in the home should stress you out, yet this isn’t the case with the bathroom. It does get the blood boiling. For some reason, homeowners put up with this for a long time. Some don’t even bother making a change and live that way until they move. If you can’t chill out at home, then you’ll never have a safe space.
So, it’s time to turn your bathroom into a haven. Granted, you might not want to spend more time in there than necessary, but the time you do spend won’t be as fraught. This is how to stress less.
Occupy Space
Everything has a place, but the fixtures are too big and bulky. Typically, tubs and sinks and toilets jut out into the walkway and cause havoc. When you’re trying to get ready in a morning, this can be very frustrating, but what can you do? It’s not as if you can live without a toilet.
No, but you can make it so the fittings aren’t as rigid. The trick is to take up the hard to reach spaces with special furniture. For example, a corner sink will fit into the angle of the room with ease. Then, there is no reason to have something which is halfway up the wall and out in the open. Or, you can have a compartmentalized sink and mirror. Take a look at http://www.uniquevanities.com/modern-bathroom-vanities-single-sink.html for more. Because the mirror and sink don’t connect, they aren’t as bulky.
Also, clear away the clutter by buying furniture which is multipurpose. A mirror/cabinet combo means you don’t need an extra storage unit. Or, cupboards under the sink work just as well too.
Lay Tiles
A close second to a lack of space on the list of gripes is cleaning. Anyone who has had to deal with a bathroom on a regular basis will know it takes a lot of tidying. And, that’s not a reference to the horror shows you see in some homes. Simple, humble dust and grime can collect and cover every surface in the room. Plus, there is the mold factor. Any place which doesn’t have ventilation and lots of steam is going to attract bacteria.
It would be awesome if you could hose it down and wipe away the dirt. Well, you can with a wet room. As the name suggests, there is no need to worry about H2O from the shower or bath getting anywhere. With the tile, you can take the head and soak the entire room. Then, get a squeegee and guide the grime down the drain. Rather than clean for ten to fifteen minutes each day, you can be done in five. And of course, if you have a water softener system from Leaf Home cleaning is even easier because there will be less limescale and grime accumulating.
When the floor is dry, just throw some bleach down to kill off the bacteria. You’ll still need to take care of the toilet and the sink, but it’s better than cleaning the shower as well.
Create A Schedule
Even when you’re not in the bathroom, you’re stressing about getting through the door. In a house with four or five people, there is never enough space for everyone to get ready at once. Plus, some things require privacy so it isn’t as if you can barge in and start cleaning your teeth. There should at least be a little bit of mystery in any relationship.
To avoid any unpleasant situations, you can create a bathroom schedule for the mornings. Although Sheldon Cooper does it and he’s an oddball, there is a method to the madness. At the very least, your family will know what time you get up and start getting ready to go into the office. If they have the timings, then they might refrain from blocking up the bathroom, especially on a weekday.
Other than that, try and multitask as much as possible. For example, take your toothbrush downstairs to the kitchen if you need to clean your teeth. It’s not ideal but it’s better than losing your rag.
Renovate Another Room
What you need to ask yourself is whether the room is currently serving a purpose. A bedroom might seem like a good choice now, but when was the last time guests stayed the night? Okay, it will add value to the property price, but so will an extra bathroom. In fact, buyers prefer another toilet and shower combo rather than a bed and closet space.
Turning a room into a bathroom isn’t a cheap job. What with the plumbing, materials and fittings, it’s going to cost a lot of money. But, you can get it back if you sell the house one day. Plus, the cash might not be that much compared to how much you need another bathroom. Get a quote by visiting https://www.angieslist.com/research/plumbers/. It’s not a contracting company but it does expert plumbing advice.
Just make sure it’s the right decision beforehand. Once the pipes are down and the fixtures installed, there is no turning back.
Lock It Down
There’s nothing as stressful as worrying about someone barging in when you’re using the facilities. The idea of somebody catching you with your pants around your ankles is bad when it’s your family. Imagine having guests around and the worst happens. Not a good way to start the appetizers!
Thankfully, all it takes is a good lock. Although this tip seems obvious, lots of doors don’t have a deadbolt. By the way, they’re better than door locks. If you’re still a bit dubious, you can hang an “occupied” sign on the door to ward off intruders.
Now, has that stopped your stomach from spinning itself in knots?
Kelsey Browning says
Just lovely & fantastic to read. Really great article. Learned so many things from this. As I have a small bathroom, this post is for me. Thanks for sharing this post and keep it up.